NEW DELHI: Responding to the Communist Party of India (Marxist) demand for an official response to the "pressure tactics" by U.S. legislators on India's relations with Iran, Petroleum Minister Murli Deora said, "I assure you that India will not be cowed down by any threat."

Mr. Deora told the Rajya Sabha on Tuesday that when U.S. Energy Secretary Sam Bodman, during his previous visit, asked about the fate of the Iran-Pakistan-India gas pipeline, "we told him that it is not the business of the U.S. We will do what is good for us."

Brinda's request

Last week as well as on Tuesday, Brinda Karat (CPI-M) asked the Government to respond to a letter by U.S. legislators requesting Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to keep ties with Iran on the backburner to save the nuclear agreement.

Outside the House, a former Union Finance Minister remarked that "Mr. Deora can say anything against the U.S., he would not be misunderstood in the West because of his friendly relations with the Americans."

Mr. Deora's confident reply in the Rajya Sabha, according to his aides, was based on the perception shared with the heads of states of Syria, Iran and Saudi Arabia.

Discussions on

The Minister told the Lok Sabha last week that India was going ahead with discussions on the pipeline project with Iran and Pakistan and there was no question of "[the] U.S. or any other country interfering in India's internal affairs."

In a written reply, he said, "Mr. Bodman had been informed that India was free to pursue its energy options with any country and would act independently to pursue its interest."

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